It is well known to use flippers to aid swimmers by increasing the area used for propulsion by the feet. This concept has been extended to provide webbed gloves for swimmers' hands. Such aids have been found particularly useful for young children when first learning to swim in that they improve the propulsion efficiency of the hands and thus provide greater confidence in young swimmers.
Known webbed gloves comprise flat membranes extending between adjacent finger pockets of the glove. The web typically is joined to the finger pockets on a line mid-way between the palm and back edge of the finger pocket as described in Australian patent application No. 85764/75 or is joined to the finger pockets so as to be flush with the palm edges of the finger pocket as described in Australian patent application No. 42461/78 or Petty Pat. No. 28423/84. Much of the water displaced when the glove is dragged through the water escapes over the finger tip end of the webbing. This problem has been obviated in the past by cupping the hand while swimming. However, cupping results in buckling of the webbing and escape of displaced water. Furthermore, as the hand when displaced displaces much more water than when extended, it becomes difficult for the swimmer to hold his hand in a cupped position with fingers apart for any length of time without his hand and wrist muscles tiring.
To overcome muscle strain it has been proposed to provide gloves which may be cupped and which are reinforced against bending towards an uncupped direction. However such gloves have been of complex and costly construction and have not achieved wide use. Even when the hand is not cupped, a further problem is that the force exerted by water on the web tears the web, especially at the join with the fingers. In order to provide a sufficiently robust article, webbed gloves have hitherto been manufactured by press moulding and having a thick web.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a webbed paddling glove which provides increased positive water displacement without requiring the hand of the swimmer to be cupped.
Another object is to provide an improved method of manufacture of a paddling or swimming glove.